The Future Has Passed
by akiana
Summary: When Percy Jackson died at the age of 18, Elysium seemed to be his safe haven, where he could be himself. One hitch in his plans: turns out that he is anchored to Camp Half-Blood... for eternity. Over the years, Percy begs for release, but his undying loyalty wins out every time. There's a reason why it's called a fatal flaw, after all, and remember: a hero's life is always tragic.
1. Before She Came

**See bottom for full AN.**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own anything pertaining to the PJO universe.**

Percy had always been a sucker for a good romance movie. Sure, he'd never admit it to any of his friends, not even Annabeth, but Percy was a closeted rom-com fan. On weekends, you could probably catch Percy bawling over Titanic - once, Jason walked in on him; Percy had never, ever, ever! been so embarrassed in his life. Of course, there would normally be no need for keeping something, especially something as simple as a favorite movie genre, a secret from his friends. But, Percy supposed, this was different. He was the Hero of Olympus, a role model for the kids and a literal magnet for the girls. Admitting that he adored romance movies was admitting that he wasn't the perfect "man", who was tough and emotionless to others but sweet and caring to his loved ones. (Whoops, there he went again with his romance movie tropes!) Renouncing that part of his perceived personality meant that Percy was giving up part of his image, which was all too important to him. His image equated his likeability, and Percy knew, more than anything, how much everyone else despised a coward. Manly men always won out above the sensitive men. And if nothing else, Percy was sensitive. Romance movies managed to bring that sensitivity, that had been shoved down over the years, to the surface. Watching rom-coms was probably the only time that Percy allowed himself to feel _normal_. But to keep everyone else happy and to keep everyone else from suddenly turning on him, Percy swallowed those feelings. Loyalty was his fatal flaw, after all. Even if he had to live a false life, trying to become a different person, it would all be worth it if humanity was safe, and maybe even more important: if humanity loved him. A fatal flaw denied would, indeed, be fatal. Percy would be reduced into a wreck of his former self, so his only choice was to bottle it up. For the sake of love? Maybe. But for his own? Definitely.

Personally, Percy thought romance movies were so appealing to him for a different reason. From birth, he had lived a troubled life. The kid never got a break, not until he turned eighteen. Rom-coms helped Percy believe in a perfect world, where the boy always got the girl and the bad guy always got defeated. Perhaps that was the essential lesson that he had to absorb. Life was not, after all, a romance movie. It shouldn't matter, though - Percy had all of eternity to learn that truth.

2015\. A year after the defeat of Gaea, Percy's victory seemed hollow. He had saved the world once again; could he possibly get some peace now? No, it seemed as if the gods were not feeling so lenient today. Another day, another grind. More people to save, more primordials to vanquish. Welcome to the life of Percy Jackson, where your most glaring flaw prevents you from really, truly, living.

PERCY POV. 726 AM

 _Couldn't even protect a single demigod-_

 _Who could ever trust you-_

 _You're disgusting-_

 _Only a monster could do that-_

 _I can't believe that I ever loved you-_

Percy rolled out of bed and immediately stubbed his toe on the brand spankin' new (ly remade) fountain, courtesy of Poseidon himself.

"Di immortales!" he screeched.

His daily routine had been the same for the last nine months. Get jolted awake at precisely - hold on - 7:26 AM by an absolutely terrifying nightmare; tumble out of bed in order to get a grip on reality; walk straight into the fountain, slamming at least three body parts into its unforgiving stone. And, of course, the daily screaming and cursing at the complacent fountain. Percy could have sworn that it was mocking him. As it was, his next-door neighbors in Ares's cabin complained every single day about being able to hear him through the stone walls.

But alas, Percy Jackson was officially up. After vigorously rubbing feeling back into his toes, he managed to stand up and perform the rest of his daily routine, the part that ordinary people do. Brushed, scrubbed, and ready to tackle the new day, Percy flung open the door and strode out into the sunlight.

 _God, he's so hot- I wish I could be like him- Percy is my role model- Annabeth is so lucky- How does he get so ripped- That shirt is so tight- I hope he can coach me today- Maybe- Love it- Cu- S- - - - - - - - -_

The wave of voices hit Percy, nearly sweeping him away. With a weary face, he managed to tune everyone out, a skill gained by months of experience. Finally, Percy steeled himself. He squared his shoulders and donned his mask, smiling at everyone and waving to his especial friends. Even after a year, the gossip hadn't died down yet. Everyone still wanted to be inside Percy's head (or have Percy inside them) to see what, exactly, the Hero of Olympus did for fun, what the Hero of Olympus liked to eat, what the Hero of Olympus worked on at the gym, so on, and so forth. Percy was sick and tired of it, but he needed everyone to know that he cared for them. Loyalty was his fatal flaw, and he would be loyal to the camp for all of his days. Yes, even if they were annoying little magpies at times. Even then.

Finally, Annabeth made her way over to him. "Seaweed Brain, good morning! Can you believe it?"  
Percy looked at her, face blank. "Believe what?" Inwardly, he was calculating all of the important events in Annabeth's life. Was today her birthday? Or their anniversary? None too soon, his incredibly incorrect thoughts were interrupted by a sigh and a flounce from Annabeth.

"You really do have kelp in that head, don't you," she smiled indulgently. "Percy, today was the day that we defeated Gaea! Don't you remember that?"

He cringed. Yes, he did remember now, albeit all too well and all too clearly. Percy scrambled for an excuse. "Of course! I just thought that we could move on with our lives after defeating Gaea. Maybe I could finally take that marine biology course that I was talking to you about!"

Annabeth noticed the moment of hesitation. (Honestly, what else would you expect from Athena's favorite daughter?) "How could you forget! We lost one of our best friends on this day. We saved Olympus for the second time. I became The Architect. I designed a monument, rivaling the Parthenon, right here at camp. Isn't that worth something?"

"Yeah, Annie, it really was a big achievement. And I still think about Leo every single day. Nico hasn't been able to locate him, but I'll be continuing the search until my dying day. It's just… not too great to dwell on the past. I can't keep on protecting you guys if I don't get stronger, but sometimes, I just want to be selfish and go to university. I.."

She frowned. "Percy, look. I'll be here. I'll support you, no matter what decision you make. But for now, let's get some breakfast. You look like a hellhound ate you alive and spit you out".

He mustered a weak smile. "Whatever you say, Wise Girl".

PERCY POV. 1208 PM

Training time, Percy's favorite (and least favorite) part of the day. Favorite, because he knew that whenever he stepped into the arena, he would get stronger and become more capable of protecting the camp. Least favorite, because the girls would fawn over him and the guys would want to fight him. And gods forbid that he turn any one of them down! The camp would be furious and his image would be destroyed. Which was, after all, a cause for pain - everyone might hate him, but Percy knew that no matter what, he would always be anchored to this camp. So indeed, it was a dilemma best suited for the local Seaweed Brain.

Speaking of whom, Percy could have sworn that someone was calling his name. He managed to yank his ADHD brain back to reality just in time to receive a resounding slap to the face.

CRACK!

"Holy mother of the gods!"

"Don't speak about my grandma that way!"

Oh. Okay. Percy shook the dizziness out of his head, letting his eyes refocus on… Thalia?

"THALS! When did you come back? Are you finally here to stay? Did you bring the hunters with you? Do you want to spar? How did your last hunt go? What have you been doing for the last year? Who are you with? Where have you been over the months? Why do you always do this to me?" Percy chattered, ecstatic over his favorite cousin's return.

"Okay, okay, okay," Thalia raised her hands defensively, scooting away from his flailing arms. "Gods, I forgot how crazy you are sometimes. I know that you're happy to see me, but one question at a time!"

"What was I- hold on- I forgot- Alright! Most important question right here, and then we can take a break to catch up. Sounds good?"

"Yep. Now, get on with it".

"Who the _Hades_ is that?"

Thalia's head snapped to her right before she let out a sigh. "Oh. I was hoping that you wouldn't notice".

"How scatterbrained do you think I am?"

"Very. I have someone that I'd like for you to meet".

PERCY POV. 456 PM

Percy had broken quite a lot of promises. That was a habit that he could never change. It looks like his newest one was his promise to meet Thalia at Zeus's Fist approximately two and a half hours ago. And judging by his cousin's absolutely _livid_ expression, Thalia herself hadn't changed much either. Always quick to anger, quick to forgi-

ZAP!

Percy's little soliloquy was interrupted by a massive lightning bolt, courtesy of the local daughter of Zeus.

He screamed, twitching like a grasshopper on drugs. "Thalia, I'm running out of PG-13 curse words to yell at you!"

Thalia didn't care. (Or if she did, she did a great job hiding it). She continued on, simply patting Percy's head as she walked by. "If you want your questions actually answered by something other than a lightning bolt, maybe you should show up to our meetings when I ask you to". She flicked her wrist to send a breeze his way. "Brighten up, cuz! If you're feeling extra desperate, you can try sneaking into the Artemis cabin tonight".

He looked down in resignation. Looks like another death attempt is going to happen tonight. Ah well. Percy would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious, and besides, sneaking into the Artemis cabin would definitely win him some respect around camp. So maybe, just maybe, it wasn't all bad. Percy dragged himself to the water, where some naiads were waving at him. While he was here, he might as well get some work done and make some friends. He'd make sure Annabeth didn't get the wrong idea. And even if she did, it couldn't hurt more than that lightning bolt, could it?

 **AN: It's been quite a while (golden age of fanfiction, or 2014) since I've written anything good enough to post with a good conscience (most of what I've written has been quick songfics that are, quite literally, a hundred words long). But this topic has been giving me some good inspiration. I even have a basic plot outline to go off of! What a shocker! My last fic, Forces of Chaos, was written spur-of-the-moment. That's why there have been so many changes. And also why I'm probably never gonna update it ever again hahahaha lol. Now, I'm hoping to keep my thoughts in order and to maybe deviate a little from basic AF Chaos stories (sorry Wacko12). Anyways, I'm finally back. So buckle your seatbelts for a new, mildly OOC, mildly pretentious, fic from your favorite 0 skill writer, MissH142 (aka Akiana, whose profile you should totally check because there's a poll up!).**

 **Be sure to review. Flame my story all you want, but be sure to give some concrete reasons as to why you hate it so much. Be sure to follow/favorite my story and me! Love y'all.**


	2. Who He Became

**AN: Sorry about the delay, I was going to inform you but I didn't finish this chapter in time. Full AN(s) and info below.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to the PJO universe.**

PERCY POV. 937 PM

It did, in fact, hurt more than that lightning bolt.

Right now, Percy was nursing more than a couple new bruises and more than a few new cuts. Oh, the sacrifices he made - but Annabeth was worth it. (And catching up with the naiads got him more than a few new friends on his side).

While he was taping up his cuts, Percy was mentally trying to compose a hit-list. Of friends, duh, not enemies that he didn't have. At least, that he _hoped_ he didn't have. Thank the gods that they didn't publicly voice their hatred, because imagine the effects! Everything would be ripped away in an instant. Everything that he had worked so hard for, for so long, and so hard. And... never mind, it was just the ADHD brain getting away with him again. It was time to stop thinking depressive thoughts and start working.

Hit-list, hit-list, hit-list… Who would give Percy the most strategic advantage? Perhaps Clarisse, as she had the whole Ares cabin on her side, but all of them tend to be volatile. Percy didn't want the campers blaming him if they went on another looting spree. He shuddered as he thought of the last one that they had went on - at least five Apollo kids landed in the infirmary that day. The Ares cabin, however, was about six thousand dollars richer.

Grover and Juniper might work. The nature spirits would make great followers, but Percy's loyalty was to the campers and not the spirits. He would always sacrifice the dryads and satyrs for the sakes of the campers, and if he was placed in that situation, the nature spirits would never forgive him. And, Percy could expect complaints from every single "flowers, frolicking, and fun" deity, turning their children against him. He would be known as an oathbreaker and the campers, whom he would give up anything to protect, would leave him. No, the risk was too great. This temporary advantage would not be worth it.

Percy chewed on his lip. The Hunters, maybe? Sure, if they could get over their hatred of men and their absolutely _terrible_ leader. They would create a great advantage, as the camp's only archers were the ten members of the Apollo cabin. Having twenty or so more would be wonderful. Also, they were okay - not good, not bad - at hand to hand combat, unlike the Apollo cabin, so they could at least defend themselves. As for stealth, they were unmatched. Nobody at camp was very sneaky; they were all kind of ingrained in the "charge and slash" mindset. On a battlefield, okay, go ahead. When carrying out quests, well, Percy would have died twenty times over without the Hunters.

But, hello? Underlying problem here. They would never work with males, much less the camp which they detested so much. Artemis would never allow them to, and they're all just followers who don't dare to think for themselves. The goddess needed to open her damn mind, which she should have a lot of experience with, considering that she's like three millennia old. The whole group is composed of misandrists (which, personally, disgusted Percy). However, he couldn't exactly voice his opinion to the group. First off, they would probably kill him. Second, he would probably become a jackalope. Third, he would make enemies of his cousin and her friends, which definitely would not help his cause. So the Hunters were off the table.

Speaking of the Hunters, Percy decided that it was late enough to sneak into the Artemis cabin without being caught. Even though he didn't agree with the Hunters' cause, he did love his cousin and he was pretty curious. Anyways, if he wasn't, Percy would have to swallow his pride someday. Making friends was essential to his mission, which was keeping the camp safe and his image pristine. But for now, it was time to go meet his cousin and to get his questions answered.

(line break)

Nine on a Saturday night was not curfew, thank the gods. The harpies were gnashing their teeth, looking especially hungry, but Saturday night was party night for the older campers, who would not hesitate to carve up a few chickens. Even Chiron sympathized with the campers - a few millenia of governing kids teaches you a lesson or two. In this case, the lesson was to always let the older kids have fun (or else total anarchy occurs, but that's a story for another time, isn't it?)

To make sure that the maximum amount of admirers were watching him, Percy decided to stroll into the front door. Not even knocking, too. So, he swaggered across the camp, signing a few foreheads and searching for weak links. One person might get him killed, after all - loyalty tends to compel you to jump in front of a blade for a single person.

Five minutes, a karaoke cameo, and a nectar pong game later (ultra high stakes! drink too much and you burn away into dust!), he stood in front of the Artemis cabin. He stared warily at the (much too) lifelike jackalope head mounted by the door, before steeling himself to walk in. And just as he turned the doorknob, Thalia burst out!

"Kelp Head, my cuz! Were you really going to come in without knocking? Tut, tut. Look at that guilty face. Remember that I lead a group of badass man haters who would love to kick some Cabin 3 butt!"  
Percy shook his head with a grin. "Thalia, never change. And how could I forget? One of them is the reason why I'm here in the first place".

Her shoulders dropped a bit. "Of course. Come on in. I'll even forgive you just this once".

"Whatever you say, Pinecone Face. I'm betting that you'll take it out on me somehow".

She sent a mini lightning bolt at his cheek. "Don't overstep your boundaries, now".

(line break)

Percy walked into Thalia's room, slamming the door, and flopped down on the queen-size bed. "Gods, you live the life!"  
"Perks of being the lieutenant," she smirked. "Water? Tea? Gotta keep that kelp moist, you know. Otherwise, it dies".

"Was that a death threat?"

"What are you talking about?"

The door creaked open, interrupting the two cousins' friendly banter. Percy's head snapped towards the sound, hand already at his pocket, but Thalia simply waved the intruder over.

"Percy, this is my newest Hunter, Joon. Joon, meet my cousin. Introductions are done, try not to kill me with your question-"

"Holy Medusa, Thalia! Since when did you start allowing boys into the hunt?"

"Since it became acceptable for guys to like guys," Joon laughed.

She scowled. "What a friendly greeting, Percy! Where are your manners?"

"I was surprised, okay? And Joon, aren't you a guy yourself? How does that work?"

"This girl-" Joon jerked his thumb at Thalia, "still hangs out with you and Nico, right? To be a Hunter, you do have to hate males at least a little, but it's mainly devotion and virginity. And by the way, I was barely a virgin when Artemis found me. Apparently, even gay bars aren't completely safe. That was what turned me off, I suppose. Plus, I do have to agree that some guys are pretty trash. But some girls are too, right?"

Thalia slapped Joon's hand. "If you value your well-being, don't say that with my Hunters in the next room! But yeah, Joon is about as straight as a rainbow. We thought it was safe to allow Joon in, after a heavy background check and initiation process, of course. Just in case, any complete purists haven't been allowed to meet him yet. We just call him June behind our backs".

"Like Juno? Because I could definitely see Joon in hippie clothes. He would rock it".

The hippie shuddered. "As a certified Korean gay guy, I can say that it would look terrible. My complexion looks terrible with bright colors, and besides, my fashion icons are the members of BTS, and _definitely_ not Jeff Lebowski".

Percy shrugged. "You do you, Joon. But I hope to see you in bell bottoms soon. As for the Hunt, I would definitely be watching my back. Who knows what these girls are capable of?"

"Anything," he replied with a completely straight face.

"He's right!" Thalia chimed in.

"Then good luck. Nice meeting you".

(line break)

Ten minutes later, Percy was slithering away from the Artemis cabin. Turns out that the harpies were staying up unusually late tonight. Even with Chiron's protection, he was feeling a little wary. But he decided to risk it - his friends would bail him out if he got in trouble, and being a troublemaker would have the girls flocking after him. (Percy had already weighed that decision carefully, especially the part about the girls. He wouldn't tell Annabeth, or else she would beat him up worse than she already did. But have no fear, because he was absolutely devoted to her: problem was that the camp was another responsibility that Percy had to focus on.) That brought him to this point, where he was crawling through the bushes behind the cabin.

Suddenly, Percy heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He barely flinched, but that was apparently enough movement for the mystery person to see him. A hand came flashing down and grabbed his collar, yanking him upright and disorienting him.

"Ughhhh," he said. Very wisely, of course.

The person, whose face was obscured by a cloak, clapped a hand over Percy's mouth. "Shut the hell up!" Percy noticed, in some corner of his brain, that the person had a feminine voice. Would that mean anything?

He hissed through his teeth, trying to gather his bearings. "Let me go or I will make you. You don't want to see me get angry. I have places to be and I'm sure that you do too".

"Oh, looks like somebody's feeling like a big boy today. Do you want to try me?"

Percy grinned, whipping his head back and relishing the feel of his skull cracking against his opponent's teeth. As her grip loosened, he jerked away from her and snatched Riptide from his pocket, ready to face anything.

The girl (or boy?) barely giggled, a humorless sound. In a matter of seconds, she cracked her knuckles and sent a punch flying his way. He ducked, cleanly avoiding the blow, and got into a defensive position. But as he uncapped Riptide, she seemed to disappear into thin air, reforming behind him. Percy didn't even get a chance to turn around before she punched him in the head.

"Brass knuckles", he breathed as the world spun in circles. The next thing he saw was a flash of gold, then absolute darkness.

 **AN: Was not planning to let this chapter end here, but the next chapter benefits from the extra words. The perfect point to end the next chapter happened (and it was already written as well as it was going to get). So, rather than having a 667 word chapter (sorry my goffik satinistz but I don't want to proof the whole thing to get rid of one word) and a 3000 - 4000 word chapter, I just said "screw it", threw in two extra scenes, and cut off a page or three. Also, question of the chapter is my new thang! Down below:**

 **Previously Written AN: The publish date, December 19th, was my birthday. I didn't have a great day. Writing helped me calm down a bit . Thank you to all who read, reviewed, whatever. Also, I'm on (at time of writing) a weeklong cruise without wifi, so sorry about that, but with my life, you should get used to it. Moving on! Any ideas are welcome, especially romance-y ideas. Love and thanks from Aki.**

 **Question of the Chapter: Favorite Christmas cookie?**


End file.
